Amorphous Sb/C with a nanoporous structure and subnanometric dispersity is synthesized by a simple, bottom up solid state reaction between Sb₂O₃and CaC₂. It exhibits an unprecedented performance of sodium storage.

Organochlorine compounds (OCs) are very toxic, highly persistent, and ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. Degradation of lindane, a selected OC, by simulated solar light-activated TiO₂ (SSLA-TiO₂) photocatalysis was investigated. The film types of the TiO₂ photocatalyst were prepared using a dip-coating method. The physical properties of the films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and environmental scanning electron microscopy. The SSLA-TiO₂ photocatalysis led to a lindane removal of 23% in 6 h, with 0.042 h⁻¹ of an observed pseudo first-order rate constant (k_obs). The SSLA-TiO₂ photocatalysis efficiency was greatly enhanced by adding hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), persulfate (S₂O₈²⁻), or both combined, corresponding to a 64%, 89%, and 99% lindane removal in the presence of 200 µM of H₂O₂, S₂O₈²⁻, or equimolar H₂O₂-S₂O₈²⁻, respectively. The hydroxyl and sulfate radicals mainly participated in lindane degradation, proven by the results of a radical scavenger study. The degradation kinetics were hindered in the presence of the water constituents, indicated by a 61%, 35%, 50%, 70%, 88%, and 91% degradation of lindane in 6 h, using a SSLA-TiO₂/S₂O₈²⁻/H₂O₂ photocatalysis system containing 1.0 mg L⁻¹ humic acid (HA), or 1 mM of CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and Cl⁻, respectively. The TiO₂ film demonstrated high reusability during four runs of lindane decomposition experiments. The SSLA-TiO₂/S₂O₈²⁻/H₂O₂ photocatalysis is very effective for the elimination of a persistent OC, lindane, from a water environment.

Flake graphite is efficiently synthesized from waste coffee grounds via catalyst-free molten-salt electrolysis at a mild temperature of 850 °C.